Thursday, January 29, 2009

On Wednesdays I plan out my menu for the week and on Thursdays I do my shopping—the goal is to make only one trip to the grocery store each week and generally I’m able to stick to this. Of course that doesn’t mean that every once in a while I don’t find myself struggling to come up with a last minute idea which is why I keep a supply of extras on hand.

Here’s the stuff I always try to keep on hand and why—if you’ve got your own suggestions please leave them in the comments because you never know what you’ll find in someone else’s fridge.

1. Canned pineapple. I buy canned chunks because of all the canned fruits pineapple is the most versatile. Use it in stir fry or sweet and sour pork, use it for pineapple upside down cake or to puree for pineapple sorbet. Use it as a salsa for seafood or chicken or in a salad. It goes well with pork and chicken and fish, even ham, in fact it pretty much works for any meal of the day in sweet or savory dishes hot or cold and Costco sells convenient pop top cans in nice sizes.

Canned peaches are also a good stocking item because in a pinch you can substitute peaches for mangoes in a lot of recipes such as salsas and purees.

2. Bouillon. You can keep canned broth on hand but it’s bulky, especially if you’re stocking up on beef, chicken and vegetable broths. Instead just keep the bouillon cubes—or better yet the granules—in their little jars. A teaspoon of granules equals a cup of broth which is also nice when you don’t need a whole can. Good for soups, sauces and salad dressings you’re always going to need broth.

3. Kern’s juice. Kern’s is a brand that makes canned fruit juices in all their lovely assorted goodness—usually the kinds of juice that are a little more difficult to come up with. Guava, apricot, peach, mango, strawberry, the cans sell for about $1.29 here and a can or two on the shelf is great for using in desserts or bread or sometimes in sweet and sour sauces. I never know when I’m going to need one but when I do I’m really glad I’ve got them. I also keep coconut milk and cream of coconut on hand for the same reasons--they're great for Thai and Asian recipes along with desserts.

4. Minced ginger, cilantro. You’re probably familiar with bottles of minced garlic which are so helpful in the kitchen but besides these I like to keep tubes of minced ginger and cilantro as well. So many recipes call for fresh ginger or cilantro and it’s not something I usually carry unless there’s a specific recipe I’m planning.

The tubes keep for weeks and weeks unopened and a tablespoon is usually all you’ll ever need at a time. While they’re not as fresh as the produce (obviously) they taste very good in a pinch and can be used for so many dishes. The brand name is The Gourmet Garden and they have all kinds of herbs and spice varieties.

5. Canned beans. Specifically I keep canned garbanzos (chick peas), black beans and kidney beans. I keep the dry ones of course too but the dry ones take so long to cook that sometimes you need the convenience of the canned and ready to eat variety.

They’re good for everything from hummus and falafel to chili and soup and salad. You can add them to tacos and enchiladas and meatloaf or mash them for vegetarian dishes as well as a great side dish with some cumin and green pepper sautéed in for spice. I rarely have tons of meat on hand--unless maybe it's some salmon or halibut filets--and having beans really beefs up a last-minute meal.

6. Frozen berries. I’ve always got one of those big Costco bags of berries around because they’re always good for something. I can throw a handful in the microwave and make a quick syrup for pancakes or crepes, I can make a great cobbler or pie, but they’re the best for smoothies when you can throw a cup of them into the blender with some of that Kern’s juice I mentioned and you’ve got an instant smoothie treat. If you want to get really wild use them in a sauce with pork or even chicken and they add beautiful color and vitamins and punch.

7. Canned pesto. This one is so obvious but a can of pesto with a bit of pasta makes an instant meal—throw in some chopped tomatoes and pine nuts if you want to add some extra color and crunch. I use it in soups and sauces and marinade plus straight from the jar for salads or kabobs. Just a can can give you the answer to “What am I going to do for dinner?” A jar of capers or sundried tomatoes isn't a bad idea either, they're nearly as helpful.

8. Mustards. This one is pretty obvious but having a good selection of condiments is a must. Keep Dijon on hand at all times plus Worcestershire, soy and all kinds of vinegars. I keep rice vinegar, regular ol’ white, apple cider vinegar, red and white wine vinegars and balsamic at all times and I’m always using them. I also keep Thai fish sauce, curry paste, lime and lemon juice around too—they’re always needed.

9. Toasted wheat germ. I like to use this stuff when a recipe calls for bread crumbs because it’s healthy and keeps well in jars in the refrigerator. A cup in your meatloaf or in your breading makes your meal that much friendlier to your colon.

10. Crab apple jelly. This one is a little funny but I find that my yearly supply that I make is great for lots of sauces that need a bit of sweetness. I use it in marinades for pot roasts and even things like the sauce for Monte Cristo sandwiches when I pair it up with mustard. A little egg and a little sweet and sour sauce and you can dress up a plain old toasted cheese sandwich in no time. If you don't have crab apple jelly a good substitue is currant jelly which is easily found at most grocery stores.

11. Anchovy paste. Useful in salads particularly—there’s really no substitute for the kick you get from a tablespoon in the sauce. I know it sounds suspicious but you’re just going to have to trust me on this. Plus it keeps forever in the fridge.

12. Mixed greens. I buy the big container of mixed spring greens from Costco nearly every week because they’re washed and ready to go whenever I need a salad or some greens for hamburgers, sandwiches or wraps. They’ll keep a week or so and with this crew we’ll make our way through a tub of the stuff in about the same time.

13. Frozen shrimp. I like, once again, the bags I can get at Costco with the peeled and deveined tail-off shrimp. It’s so handy to be able to throw some in a bowl of water for a quick defrost before throwing them into the pot of chowder or pasta, on a salad or even as a filling for crepes. They’re the quick and easy way to make a meal feel more filling and substantial without adding lots of calories or fat or work. And if you consider the benefits, a bag for $13 isn’t too bad, that will make several meals for us easily.

Andrew doesn't care for shrimp that much but he does like scallops so I will also keep a bag of frozen scallops in the freezer because shrimp and scallops can often be used interchangeably in a recipe.

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comments:

Thanks for the idea about using wheat germ instead of bread crumbs. The last three containers of bread crumbs I've bought from the commissary has had bugs YUCK!! But such is life here. We always have wheat germ b/c we add it to the kids' instant oatmeal- and have since they were toddlers. A great way to add extra goodness!

I too like having a stocked pantry and freezer...Thanks for some great ideas..I recently read about tomato paste in a tube and then found it at the my grocery store...I buy "red things" for my daughters for VD...Wait until they see tomato paste this year in their gift bag...

I try to keep my pantry well-stocked and you've given me a few ideas for some more things to keep on hand.

At a Middle-Eastern market I found fire-roasted sun dried tomatoes. Those were excellent, almost meaty because of the smokiness. I'll have to get some more of those soon. They were great in rice and bulgur salads.

My trick for keeping ginger on hand is to keep a hunk in the freezer. It keeps really well. When I want to use some, I use a vegetable peeler to take off a bit of skin, then use the peeler or a grater to get the amount of ginger I need. Then back into the freezer.

I have most of these on hand at all times - except anchovy paste, because my husband would revolt if I put it in anything.

But on the canned bean issue, here's what I do: I always have canned chili beans, but the rest, I buy 2 bags of dry. I cook the entire bag, and freeze it 1 2/3 cups to a freezer bag. That equals a can of beans. Then when I have a recipe that calls for a can of beans, I just pull them out of the freezer. It's about 1/3 of the price that way.

Also, I mix wheat germ and flax seed. We just like the taste and the health benefits.

I always keep canned, diced tomatoes. I can put a can in soup or add to a crock pot meal, I drain and blend them to use in meatloaf, and of course use when making spaghetti sauce. I also keep blocks of cheddar and jalapeno jack cheese-quesadillas and grilled cheese are obvious but add to quiches, scrambled eggs, sprinkle on salads, casseroles, I even have a crockpot veggie recipe that uses cheese.

My husband, the executive chef and chief shopper of the house always has Kern's mango and pineapple on hand. But he only ever puts them in the blender with some top shelf liquid for when mommy's had a hard day :-) MMmmm MMMM.

I am such a fan of minced herbs now, especially ginger. I cook with it often but not often enough to keep a fresh root from going bad before I use it next, so the tube stuff is awesome. For cilantro too because I hate chopping it, but I still tend to stick with fresh basil.

I loved reading your list of "must haves". It is totally different than mine-- for some odd reason I was thinking only the stuff on my list were must have items. How great to see this list for another family!

I'm going to have to add a couple of these to my list. I used to keep wheat germ, but never used it. Time to buy it again.

Some of yours are the same, like the pineapple, beans and bouillon cubes. I keep old fashioned oatmeal on hand. Noodles of all kinds. A box of brownie mix for emergencies. Cans of diced and crushed tomatoes. Bags of shredded cheese in the freezer, as well as boxes of real butter. Cans of evaporated milk.

The wheat germ sounds interesting. I'll try it in my next meatloaf. I was also wondering how your Costco thing is going. I thought about not shopping there anymore and I couldn't bring myself to even try it. But I have been more dedicated to using up the produce before it goes bad - something I'm guilty of.

As an alternative to tubed herbs, try frozen ones if you can find them. The brand is Dorot, and they come from Israel. Here is a link: http://www.dorot.co.il/Eng/Index.asp?CategoryID=27

I buy them at Trader Joe's, and they're also available at Whole Foods. They are in little cubes and each cube equals a teaspoon. Just pop out a cube when you want it. I have chopped basil and chopped garlic at the moment, but there is ginger and others as well.

I also keep Kirkland's brand four cheese frozen ravioli from Costco on hand. They boil in 5 minutes and are simply the best.

I have bought basil in frozen cubes at Trader Joe's, but I didn't know you could buy tubed oregano and cilantro! Yay!

One thought I would add about the bouillon: I've been cooking for 35+ years, but what I didn't know until recently is that bouillon is WAY SALTIER than broth! I found myself without any broth one day when making soup, and used bouillon cubes instead...this resulted in a very salty lentil soup. So use with caution!

I'm glad you put a picture of the herbs in a tube. I put a recipe for larb on my blog (like the lettuce cups you get at PF Changs) and it can be hard to find fresh lemongrass but it comes in this kind of tube. We do lots of Thai cooking so it's nice to have on hand. ALso the anchovy paste.

I love coconut milk. We love it in curry, but even better than that is a dessert I had at a Thai place in Cleveland years ago. Coconut ice cream, carmelized banana, coconut milk and chocolate sauce. If you needed it sweeter, you could use cream of coconut...either way, it's amazing.

Well, goodness, I wonder what I eat because I don't keep any of those things! Well, the berries. Sometimes wheat germ. You are one versatile and eclectic cook up there, whipping up the Asian dishes and falafel. Look at you go! I just might show up unannounced!

Anchovy paste -- now that sounds like a winner! I do love my anchovies, and I know when I've chopped them up and put them in spaghetti sauce, no one's the wiser. But I'll bet with the paste, it'd be even easier to sneak it in when no one's looking ;) Thanks for the idea.

I too like to shop only once a week if I possibly can--early Saturday mornings when the rest of my family is still asleep. Anything to avoid taking 3 or 4 little kids to the store.I want to try the anchovie paste. I hope I can find it at our WalMart.

I like to keep bags of shredded cheese in the freezer. We eat a lot of cheese and it's always nice to have it available. It doesn't get moldy in the freezer, and I can't tell any difference in the quality of cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan that's been frozen (but I wouldn't freeze a block of cheese).